Christmas Preparation

Even though we will be away from home for Christmas, I decided to do some decorating around the house. Partly to capture the anticipation of Christmas and partly as a way to establish some Christmas traditions of our own.

The wreath for the front door was inspired by my visit to Lynda, who had already made one. My frame is freshly tied birch branches from the farmers market decorated with branches from the three different evergreens in our garden. One of the nice things about cold weather at Christmas is being able to have a fresh wreath, knowing it won't dry out in a day or two.

The Christmas tree is real too, and far cheaper than a live tree in Sydney. The trees available are quite different to the trees from home. Here, there are several species available in many sizes. There is also a lot of choice on where to buy your tree - there are several large roadside stands with trees on sale, as well as the hardware store, and the farmers market.

Our tree came with some unusual care instructions - the stump is freshly cut at purchase, so hurry home, you only have six hours to get it in water before it dries out. When you do add water, it should be hot tap water - this helps the sap flow easily as the tree thaws. And make sure you place the tree away from a heating vent, or it will dry out. Finally, water the tree often - a well cared for tree might even break bud. It's my fifth snowy winter, but apparently there is still more to learn.